Simple Activity Plan Can Help with Post-Holiday Blues

Treva Turner of Atlanta works out in Shepherd Center’s ProMotion Gym to maintain a strong fitness level to help manage her diagnosis of multiple sclerosis. Photo by Louie Favorite

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The post-holiday blues is common following all of the planning and anticipation from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day. After a traumatic injury, these blues can increase even more, said Teresa Ashman, Ph.D., director of neurorehabilitation psychology at Shepherd Center.

“The holidays are often a time of family visits, and once the season ends, people can be left with limited social support,” she explained. “One way to accommodate these sad feelings is to create a simple activity plan aimed at improving energy, diet, and mental and physical health with the ultimate goal of increasing overall life satisfaction.”

Dr. Ashman suggests adding one new activity to your week to begin making steps to decrease post-holiday and winter blues and increase a sense of purpose.

Also, be aware that seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is common this time of year because of the cold weather and shorter days that decrease the amount of light exposure that people get, Dr. Ashman said.

“Direct sunlight is still necessary, so take advantage of any bright and warmer days, and try to go outside for a few minutes even when it is cold outside,” she added. “The best way of countering the effects of reduced sunlight is to spend time in front of evidence-supported light therapy lamps.”

For more information on psychological services available at Shepherd Center, you may call 404-350-7553.

About Shepherd Center

Shepherd Center, located in Atlanta, Georgia, is a private, not-for-profit hospital specializing in medical treatment, research and rehabilitation for people with spinal cord injury, brain injury, multiple sclerosis, spine and chronic pain, and other neuromuscular conditions. Founded in 1975, Shepherd Center is ranked by U.S. News & World Report among the top 10 rehabilitation hospitals in the nation. In its more than four decades, Shepherd Center has grown from a six-bed rehabilitation unit to a world-renowned, 152-bed hospital that treats more than 935 inpatients, 541 day program patients and more than 7,300 outpatients each year.